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McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Andrew Nabors – May 22, 2018

Jay Leno Drives the 2019 Corvette ZR1

Rumors abound of a secret project at Chevrolet's Bowling Green Assembly Plant. That is because the 2019 Corvette ZR1 has extracted all that can be had from the 7th generation of the Plastic Fantastic. This 212 mph supercar is the fastest & most powerful machine General Motors has ever offered. It arrives with 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque, so Jay Leno decided to give it a spin at GM's Milford Proving Grounds.The Most Expensive Car in Jay Leno's Car Collection?In a recent post on GM Authority, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said a return of the ZR1 wasn't planned until the new Corvette arrives. But the engineers kept pushing the limits of their 6.2 liter V8 thanks to improvements in supercharger technology. There is also the underlying issue of a Demon putting Dodge back on top of the horsepower wars. But another clue that something radical is coming is that GM moved the Performance Engine Build Center from Wixom, Michigan to a newly renovated section of the Corvette plant. But certain days of the month, the plant is blacked out and no tours are given. It takes years to build a new Corvette, so in the meantime, you should test drive the new ZR1 for yourself. Tell us which generation of the ZR1 is your favorite in the comments below and stay with us for the latest uploads from Jay Leno's GarageBrowse Corvette ZR1 For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 18, 2018

DragTimes: McLaren 720S vs Ferrari 488GTB

Here is the one you have been waiting for. Two of the world's most potent exotic cars for sale lining up for a heads-up 1/4 mile shootout. Our friend Brooks is the owner of DragTimes.com, and his films are the ultimate resource in supercar acceleration tests.The latest from England is the McLaren 720S. It uses a twin turbo 4.0 liter V8 to make 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. The Italian opponent is the latest Ferrari 488GTB, and it has 660 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque. It is only 61 lbs heavier than the McLaren, so the only real difference is the Englishman has 50 more horsepower.This footage confirms what we've been suspecting. The McLaren's transmission and differential ratios allow for maximum acceleration at highway speeds. The Ferrari is geared to jump out of the hole and provide a smooth power curve. But when a 720S goes beyond 80 mph, it enters "Beast Mode". McLaren and Ferrari have different ideas on differential gears, and that makes all the difference at the drag strip. Reeling in your opponent at the top end is one of the best feelings in the world, so play it safe and keep the racing at the track. Stay with us for all your DragTimes footage.Ferrari 488 GTB For Sale McLaren 720S

By Edward Jones – May 17, 2018

Lamborghini Centenario Rev Battles Procharged Mustang GT350R

Have you ever seen a Mustang rev off against a Lamborghini? Probably not, but now you will. At the CF Charities Supercar Weekend, a Lamborghini Centenario showed up, as did a procharged 2017 Ford Shelby GT350R.Naturally, the owners of these two cars parked them back-to-back and pitted them against each other in a rev battle. On the one hand, you have a monster American muscle car, while the other is an Italian hypercar worth almost $2 million. That being said, each gives off an exhaust note that needs to be heard, making the video from DownShiftRecords below worth a play.The Lamborghini Centenario is powered by a naturally aspirated V12 engine that produces 770 hp, making it Lamborghini’s most powerful engine that they’ve ever produced. With a weight of 3,351 lbs and the power mentioned above, this hypercar will run 0-62 mph in just 2.8 seconds and 0-186 mph in 23.5 seconds. Its top speed is said to be over 217 mph.Ford's Shelby GT350R originally comes with a new 5.2-liter engine at 526 hp and 429 lb-ft, but the one in the video below is far from original. GlasWerks DMV told us this Mustang their own shop car, and it comes with new exhaust, headers and more. As for power, this GT350R pushes out over 700 hp and almost meets the horsepower rating of the Centenario.

By Andrew Nabors – May 16, 2018

The History of Donkervoort by Carfection

Have you ever seen a car so gorgeous you had to own it? That is what happened to a young man named Joop Donkervoort. He saw a Lotus 7 and knew he had to have one. The only problem is that it was not legal in the Netherlands. The Low Countries have strict safety laws, so his only choice was to reverse-engineer the iconic automobile in order to make it comply with their standards.By the time the transformation was over, it was essentially a new car. He christened it the S7, and the Dutch fell in love with it. The idea of a more practical and powerful version was the motivation for the S8. It used a Ford-Cosworth 4 cylinder, it gained a healthy turbo in the S8 AT. They have been building nimble 4 and 5 cylinder cars since 1978, and the D8 GTO is the current flagship. Always a driver's car, they arrive without ABS, stability control, or electronic nannies. So they are illegal in the US if they are 24 years old or newer. Maybe it would be possible under Show & Display, so we'll let you know what we find out. Until then, stay with us for all your exotic car news.How To Sell Your Exotic Car with duPont REGISTRY

By Andrew Nabors – May 11, 2018

2018 Ford GT Delivered to Brooks Weisblat from DragTimes

Our friend Brooks Weisblat has great taste in cars, but he might need to expand his garage thanks to the addition of a new Ford GT. In a YouTube video uploaded yesterday, he and his team had a BBQ at Autonation Ford of Miami. His blog says he was able to witness the car emerging from Stage 7 factory in Toronto. While they weren't allowed behind the scenes, his GT Concierge took a few shots of the assembly process. Your Concierge is assigned by Ford to handle your car from order to delivery. As such, he arrived at DragTimes HQ along with the custom-built Reliable Carriers trailer. Ford worked with reliable to build 5 special trailers that are the exclusive haulers of the GT. Much in the same way John Hennessey's car was delivered, Brooks also mentions future videos showing the process in detail. Have a great weekend Ford fans, and click the link below to find your Ford GT. Ford GT For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 01, 2018

Reviewed: Porsche Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo

Germans have always considered themselves to be wagon masters, which is why many enthusiasts will buy a 3 Series Touring or an S4 Avant before considering a newer car. Perhaps that is why Porsche is betting we are willing to hand over $180,000 for the Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo. Doug DeMuro knows a thing or two about cars, so he decided to see just how special this new model is.Sedans and coupes are losing ground thanks to booming SUV sales, and this battle has allowed wagons to make a quiet comeback. America has a love/hate relationship with wagons, with examples like the Cadillac CTS-V and Dodge Magnum SRT8 rocketing in value since their demise.TECHART GrandGT Takes Porsche Panamera to New LevelsPorsche took the roofline and extended it rearward. This gives you more abilitity to carry taller cargo. The load floor is also lower so you won't have to lift your goods over the trunk lip. The Sport Turismo is also the first Panamera to have 5 seats, as the rear bench has room for a modest human in the middle. No fancy skylight for the rear passengers will keep it from being a shaggin wagon.The 550 horsepower twin-turbo V8 will make it a bragging wagon, as you leap to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. You will also have 567 lb-ft of torque at all wheels, this thing is bonkers! The front brake rotors are 10mm smaller than the Bugatti Chiron, measuring in at only 16.1 inches! Every other technical detail is mindblowing, so click the link below to find a dealer nearest you, and stay with us for more updates on this mean machine.Browse Porsche Panamera For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 01, 2018

What Does McLaren's Logo Mean?

A corporate logo says a lot about the brand. While many automakers choose symbols that are self-explanatory, McLaren's accent has several plausible backgrounds. Carfection decided to feature them on their latest YouTube upload, so get ready for a neat story. A 570S Spider is a perfect way to tell the tale, so we hope he drove fast enough to keep the rain out.The first hypothesis is that Marlboro's trademark chevron has slowly evolved, along with the McLaren script. This makes sense because of the collaboration between McLaren's race cars and Phillip Morris tobacco. But something tells us this could be incorrect, due to the public's changing perception of big tobacco.A Minute Of Noise For Bruce McLarenAnother possibility is the Kiwi bird. Bruce McLaren was a native of New Zealand, so every one of his cars had a reference to the Kiwi. Over time it evolved into the Speedy Kiwi, taking the form we know it now. Tell us your theory, and your favorite automotive emblem in the comments below and stay with us for more great Carfection films.Browse McLaren For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – April 30, 2018

Dodge Demon vs Hellcat 1/4 Mile Shootout

Sibling rivalry is often heated, especially when it comes to the Dodge Challenger Demon and Hellcat. As one of the best-kept secrets in the automotive world, the Challenger Hellcat and the Challenger Demon were developed at the same time. One team was asked to build a 700 horsepower car, and the other was given no restrictions to see how far the 6.2 liter V8 could be pushed.A Hellcat starts around $65,000, and the Demon is $20,000 more. The first has 707 horsepower and the latter is able to make 840 horsepower on race fuel. To make the Dodge Demon reliable at such power levels, it has 50% more oil sent to the piston squirters, and the block is reinforced inside and out. A stronger transmission includes the world's first production trans-brake along with other drag-racing essentials.Hennessey Performance Tests the HPE1000 DemonTo see the differences in action, the YouTube channel Wheels uploaded this battle last night. So far, the fastest Demon time slip is held by Hennessey Performance, but it took them 1,000 horsepower to run a 9.38. That is because the 10-second barrier is hard to reach for street-legal cars. The law of diminishing returns can be seen, in that adding 160 horsepower only counts for half a second for Hennessey Performance. Both of the drivers below deserve props for excellent launches, and the difference at the top end clearly shows the difference in power. Is it worth an extra $20,000? Tell us why or why not in the comments below and stay with us for all your Mopar action!View the Dodge Demon Specs, Prices & Review

By Andrew Nabors – April 27, 2018

Ford GT: Everything You Need To Know

If you haven't noticed Donut Media, their style of informative YouTube videos is unique and exciting. This week they chose to take on one of the most famous cars ever built: Ford GT. Henry Ford II was looking for a way to enter the sports car market without having to build one from scratch. He had a great idea to buy Ferrari, but Enzo refused at the last minute.Incensed by the public rebuking, Ford decided to beat Enzo at his own game. The Ford GT was born to win. The first examples were built by Lola and powered by the small block 289. They were slow and unreliable. So Ford hired Carroll Shelby to fix the problems, and he did so with a 427 big block. Adding 7 liters of American to anything makes for a winning car, so the Ford GT finished 1-2-3 and LeMans in 1966.Ford Suing John Cena for Selling his Ford GTIt was resurrected in 2004 with a supercharged 5.4 liter, and production lasted until 2006. This is the best car I have ever driven. So for the 50th Anniversary of the historic win, the 2016 Ford GT was built to win. The carbon fiber masterpiece is only 3,000 lbs and it packs 647 horsepower from a twin-turbo V6. If you are a blue oval fan who is looking for a supercar, we have several to choose from. Tell us which Ford GT is your favorite and stay with us for all your Ford updates.The New Ford GT Engine is a V6 - Check Out the Specs Here

By Edward Jones – April 23, 2018

Fastest Supercar: Corvette Z06 vs McLaren 675LT vs Ferrar...

If you have a set of automotive friends, there's no doubt that at some point you have all argued the superiority of certain cars. For Salamondrin and his friends, they got into a discussion as to which of the follow were faster: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan or McLaren 675LT.Luckily for them, two of the friends were part of Fast Toys Club, which had those cars at the ready. Naturally, they took the cars to the track and put a racing driver behind the wheel. Each car went around the track for a time trial and the numbers from each lap were compared in order to see who was right about the supercars and, ultimately, see which of the four cars was the fastest.Check the video below to see if you guessed right!

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